Men at Arms

Man-at-Arms

A term used from the Medieval to Renaissance periods to describe a soldier, almost always a professional warrior in the sense of being well-trained in the use of arms. The armour of the man-at-arms became progressively more effective and expensive. Throughout the 14th century, the armour worn by a man-at-arms would have been a composite of materials. Over a quilted gambeson, mail armour would cover the body, limbs and head. Increasingly during the century, the mail would have been supplemented by plate armour on the body and limbs. In the 15th century, full plate armour was developed, which reduced the mail component to a few points of flexible reinforcement.